The Director’s Directive
by LumpyChunks
Summary: As the four survivors start a new battle for survival, the Director initiates his plans to destroy them once and for all.
1. The Director's Directive

_Note: The survivors are back for six more installments of infected disaster. Please read and review so I know what you think, I really apprieciate it. This is a sequel to my first Left 4 Dead story; At All Costs, I suggest you visit my profile and read that if you have not done so already. Now get reading and I hope you enjoy! - Andy_

The Director's Directive

The London Eye was barley visible through the thickness of the morning fog. Big Ben began to chime, alerting the public that it was nine o'clock. On the main high street, there was a lot of hustle and bustle. Cars drove through the city while pedestrians walked along the path, each acting as they normally would. Above the street in one of the apartments overlooking London, two people lay in bed with the large bedroom window open. Some of the covers had blown off in the breeze, revealing the bare back of a woman. Zoey shuffled in bed and pulled the covers back over, relishing in the warmth. Her partner turned over and put a comforting arm over her.

'You stole the covers,' Graham said light-heartedly. 'Again.' Zoey grinned cheekily.

'They're mine now,' she giggled. Graham pulled them off her and Zoey gave a mock scream. She jumped on top of him to try and pull them back. Graham's grip was tight and Zoey soon gave up, leaning close to his face and kissing him passionately.

'You have too much energy in the morning,' Graham joked.

'You were in the Navy!' Zoey laughed. 'You should have more energy. To fight pirates… and stuff.' Graham smiled and looked to the clock. He sighed.

'Time to get up,' he said grudgingly. He stepped out of bed while Zoey remained still, cocooning herself in the blankets.

'Close the window!' she insisted. 'It nearly kept me up all night.'

'I think that was something else,' Graham grinned cheekily at her as he closed the windows. 'I'm taking a shower… care to join me?'

'You always ask me that,' Zoey rolled her eyes. 'Step away from the window, people in the other building can see your ass!' Graham stepped toward the bathroom and winked at her. Zoey sighed and went to join him.

*

Away from London, in a quaint little village called Farnham, Bill was out on a morning stroll. Gone were the old army fatigues and green beret, in their place were beige trousers with a white shirt and a thin beige jacket. He still had a cigarette in his mouth, gladly puffing away as he walked down the path. In the large park, Bill took a seat by a trickling stream. Behind him, late students were running to school while parents with their young children went to play in the nearby park. Bill sighed, enjoying every moment of peace.

'How's it going?' Francis asked, suddenly arriving and spoiling his mood. Bill muttered something under his breath as Francis sat down, still wearing his favourite leather vest. Bill turned to him, as a parent would turn to their disruptive child.

'Have you been out all night drinking?' he asked.

'Hell yeah,' Francis beamed. 'I love the British; they really know how to get wasted!'

'We've been here for, what? Six months?' Bill asked rhetorically. 'Where are you getting this money from?'

'They give out free drinks if you're one of the survivors from America,' Francis explained. 'There's not that many people who overcame the zombie apocalypse to make it to safety and civilization, with stories to tell and beer to drink!'

'I'm so glad you're profiting from this,' Bill shook his head. He stood up.

'Where are you going?' Francis asked.

'Back home,' Bill muttered. 'It's bad enough they forced me to live with you. I can hardly handle seeing you during the day, let alone the start of it.' Bill set off back home. Francis sprawled out on the bench and looked up at the sky. The weather from London was slowly making its way down south, obscuring the sky. Francis sighed and closed his eyes.

*

Louis stepped out of his office and was immediately followed by his assistant.

'Lord Baber contacted you again,' he told him. 'He thinks that we need to increase the deadline by about three weeks.'

'We'll do it by two and see how things go,' Louis told him, looking through some papers. They walked through a crowded office floor, bustling with activity. They stopped in front of the elevator and Louis pushed the call button. 'Did Karen ring back about Reed Aviation?' he asked.

'Yeah,' his assistant said with a tone of disappointment. 'Unfortunately flights are still grounded worldwide. The UN decided to wait a little while longer before allowing airports to reopen.'

'Fair enough,' Louis said, the doors opening. 'Keep an eye on the press office. I want to know as soon as we can get up in the air again.'

'The Americas will be a no-fly zone,' his assistant pointed out. 'Various Naval forces from around the world have only just agreed on a plan to repopulate the west. It's going to take decades, most likely, for it to be safe to go there again.' Louis pushed the button to send them to the car park and folded his arms.

'I can wait,' he said sighing. 'God, ten past nine and I'm already tired.'

'I can postpone some meetings for you if you'd like,' his assistant suggested. The doors opened and Louis shook his head, stepping outside. They started walking toward Louis' car, a black BMW 3 series. The paint shimmered in the light. Louis suddenly got a phone call.

'It's Karen,' he told his assistant. 'Load the car and get it started and I'll join you in just a second.' His assistant walked over to the car as Louis sighed and answered the phone.

'Hey Karen,' she said, feigning a cheerful telephone voice. 'Please tell me you've got good news.'

'I'm afraid not,' Karen said. 'You may want to sit down for this,' Louis grimaced and rubbed his face with his palm.

'Let me just get into my car,' he moaned. As he stepped over, his assistant loaded the vehicle and opened the driver's seat for him. Louis mouthed to him, saying he should drive, stepping into the passenger's side. His assistant drove out of the car park and went down the road. 'What's the damage?' he asked her.

'I'll be blunt,' Karen said.

'I wouldn't have it any other way…' Louis sighed.

'There is no way in hell you're getting back,' she reported. Louis groaned. 'What you have to understand is that Canada, and North & South America are still potentially infectious. They plan to wait at least a year so they can…' Louis interrupted her.

'A year?' he said loudly. 'Christ, what good will that accomplish?'

'I'm sorry,' Karen insisted. 'But there's nothing we can do. I know you had your heart set on settling the contract to help rebuild but it's just not going to happen.' There as an uncomfortable pause. 'Just let it go, alright?' Karen said. 'I'll give you a call later to…' Louis hung up and threw the phone into the back seat. He sighed dejectedly and rested his head in his hands.

'Not good news?' his assistant asked. Louis shook his head

'They don't trust Stasys with the contract,' he told him. He shook his head. 'Three months… three months wasted!' He smashed his fist on the dashboard.

'We're not just going to give up, are we?'

'We have to,' Louis muttered. 'There's no way we're going to receive any more funding for this… we'll be reassigned.'

'I'm sorry,' his assistant said.

'It's not your fault,' Louis shook his head. 'We both did the best we good. It's just the government screwing us over.' His assistant signalled to turn left but Louis shook his head. 'I'm cancelling the meeting,' he said. 'Let's go to the pub. I think we're both going to need a drink.' His assistant chuckled and turned right instead.

As the car turned down the road, it went down a few hundred yards when the back window suddenly exploded. Louis' assistant suddenly lurched and slumped at the wheel. The car began to spin out of control and veered off the road. The car mounted the pavement and drove into a letterbox, causing it to flip onto two wheels and crash through a shop window, eventually falling to the roof when it came to a stop. Inside, Louis was hanging upside down. He unlocked his seatbelt and fell to the roof. He looked over to his assistant and gasped when he saw the bullet hole in his head. Louis kicked the door open and crawled out of the vehicle. He managed to get to his feet and saw the damage. He put his hand on his head and was breathing heavily. Various witnesses were congregating around the damaged area. Louis leant against a wall and slid down to the ground.

*

Bill entered the shared apartment. By the door were two pairs of shoes.

'You guys up?' Bill called out, locking the door and tossing the keys and his phone to the side. He stepped through the rather bare apartment into the kitchen. He looked around. There were two cereal bowls on the central table. Bill rolled his eyes at the sight of his flatmates' disregard for cleaning and lifted one of them up. It was still half full of breakfast cereal. He looked suspiciously at it and lifted the other bowl. It was also full, but the milk had a slight pinkish tint to it. There came a faint noise from upstairs. 'Hello?' Bill asked cautiously.

He moved back into the hallway and looked up the stairs. Bill was about to start heading up when he saw something move in the kitchen. A figure emerged from a corner with a gun. From up the stairs, another figure emerged, weapon aimed for him. Bill threw one of the bowls up the stairs, knocking the weapon aside. He threw the other at the person in the kitchen. Bill darted upstairs and grabbed the attacker's weapon before it could be used. The other person started running up, firing at him. The gun made no noise. Bill dived through the hallway, the bullets hitting the wall and the person behind him. He ran inside one of the bedrooms and gasped as he saw the corpse of one of his flatmates slumped on the floor, a bullet hole in his head. Bill shot the glass window and jumped out as the door behind him burst open. As he landed, he rolled along the ground and started firing up at the window, preventing the attacker from shooting at him. Bill's gun clicked empty as he jumped over the dividing fence.

Emerging out on the street, Bill looked around desperately. He checked his pockets, looking for his phone. He sighed and ran away as fast as he could.

*

In the park, Francis' eyes bolted open as the phone in his pocket started to ring. He rubbed his face and yawned as he looked at the screen. When he registered what was said, his eyes suddenly became more alert and he answered the call.

'Louis…' he said, surprised. 'It's… been a while…'

'Francis,' Louis said, gasping in pain. 'Sorry to just call you out of the blue like this.'

'Don't worry about it,' Francis interrupted. 'It's good to talk to you again. How've you been?'

'Someone just tried to kill me!' Francis stood up soberly. He took in the information Louis had given him but wasn't sure how to react. 'You still there?' he asked.

'Yeah,' Francis muttered. 'Yeah… God, what happened? Are you alright?'

'I'm fine,' Louis said, holding in a cry of pain as a paramedic sterilised a gash on his arm. 'We were driving down the street when my driver… when Elliott was shot. By a sniper rifle the cops say.'

'Jesus…' Francis sat back down, holding his head.

'I was supposed to be driving…' Louis continued. 'If I hadn't then I'd… I'd…'

'Hey man,' Francis cut in. 'Don't think like that.'

'I was supposed to be driving,' Louis repeated. 'That means that I was supposed to be shot.' Francis fell quiet. Louis ushered the paramedic away. 'Look, has anything like this happened to you?'

'Why?' Francis asked apprehensively.

'Well I have no idea why someone would want to take me out,' Louis said. A policeman approached him, respectfully waiting for him to finish his phone call. 'Look I gotta go, but keep an eye out. If someone's coming after me they might be coming after you, too.'

'Coming after survivors?' Francis leant forward. 'Why?'

'I don't know…' Louis sighed. 'Anyway I have to go. I'll call you soon.' Louis put the phone away and apologised to the policeman for making him wait. Francis stared at the phone and sighed. He thought about what Louis had said.

'Why would someone want to kill us?' he muttered to himself.

*

Avery Ingram was stood in front of the large glass wall. The view was beautiful, the bright lights from the city danced inside the dark office he was stood in. He stood with his legs together and his hands resting on an elegant looking cane. The office door opened and the lights were turned on. A balding Asian man in a smart pinstripe suit stepped inside and was surprised at Avery's presence.

'What are you doing here, Director?' the man asked in Chinese.

'Just here to see the sights…' the Director softly replied in the same dialect, talking as fluently as he spoke English. He remained staring out the window, his fingers tapping the handle of the cane.

'A man of your character does not come to Beijing to see the sights,' the man said, closing the door behind him. 'What do you want?' The Director turned around, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the man.

'How long have we been friends, Zan?' he asked. The man let out a mock laugh.

'Is that how you think of us?' he retorted sarcastically. The Director shook his head slightly.

'Very well… how long have we been… acquaintances?'

'Just acquaintances?' Zan said mockingly. 'After ten years I'd think we'd be colleagues at least.' He paused as the Director looked back out of the window. 'Or maybe we're enemies?'

'I consider my enemies to be people who actively work against me,' the Director said defiantly. 'I consider a colleague to be someone who works with me.' The Director turned to Zan, giving him a knowing glare. 'You happen to fit both categories nicely.'

Zan stepped back, holding up his hands.

'What are you talking about?' he asked. The Director turned and faced him.

'They say to keep your friends close and your enemies' closer…' he said quietly. 'A saying I never really understood or particularly agree with.'

'And why's that?' Zan asked nervously.

'You know where you stand with your enemies… but your friends! My word, if you let them get close to you, it gives them an opportunity to go behind your back.' Zan shuffled apprehensively.

'What's your point?' he asked. 'You consider me a friend?'

'I would never be so presumptuous…' the Director said sinisterly. 'To be clear I consider you… worthless.' The Director stepped away from the window and over to Zan, who promptly got out of his way. He moved with a slight limp, supporting his weight on the cane.

'When CEDA was disbanded,' the Director said softly, 'it was your job to make sure that it was impossible for any of us to be traced. You failed us, Zan.'

'Now you listen to me,' Zan said aggressively. 'I did my best. I was unprepared for the extent of their investigations!'

'You were unprepared!' the Director yelled, starling Zan. 'Everyone else was prepared. I was prepared, I was leading this operation. I put my trust and faith in you and you…' The Director paused, swallowing his anger. 'You made a fool out of me!'

'You made a fool out of yourself when you lost that aircraft carrier because of four civilians!' Zan snapped back. The Director swung his cane through the air and hit him around the face. Zan fell to the ground, a large gash on his cheek. The Director turned and went for the door. He opened it and waited in the doorway. 'Hurts, doesn't it?' Zan said, standing up with his hand to his face. 'You can pass the blame onto others, but deep down you know that it's fault everything is getting out of hand because you can't cope with it and that…' Zan paused. 'That's the thing that's eating you up inside… that's what's hurting you the most.'

'I may be hurting,' the Director whispered, turning to look at him. 'However unlike you, I have the means to fix my problems. You're nothing. You're just pathetic…' He took a breath and looked back out of the door. 'Besides, my pain is nothing compared to what you're about to feel.' The Director stepped outside and two muscular men in suits took his place. They dragged him out of the office and down the corridor. The Director closed his eyes as he heard him be taken away, taking a deep breath. He opened his eyes with a smile on his face.

'Now onto those other four…' he whispered to himself.

*

Francis put the phone in his pocket and looked at the stream ahead. The sky was now covered with grey clouds, not a single patch of blue could be seen. He shivered slightly and decided to get up and go back home. As he started walking, the engine of a parked van that was on the road in the distance kicked into life. The driver spoke into a radio, talking to someone fifty yards from Francis. This person followed him as the van crept around the park. It was heading for the gate that Francis was walking to.

Francis, oblivious to anything, got closer to the road. The man following him was now about thirty yards from him, walking at a much faster pace than he was. Francis stepped beyond the gate and waited to cross the road. The van came closer but was blocked by a slow moving bus suddenly pulling out in front of it. Francis hastily crossed the road and continued walking home. The man following him picked up his pace to one of a light jog. The van also sped up after it managed to overtake the bus. As Francis walked down the street the two people following him got even closer. The van pulled up next to him and matched his speed of walking. Francis noticed it and gave the driver a confused look. He then looked behind and saw the man that was following him. Suddenly realising what was going, Francis stepped back.

'Oh God…' he muttered to himself.

'Francis!' Bill cried, emerging from a corner. Francis turned and ran for him. The van accelerated suddenly as he tried to run. Being chased, Francis and Bill ran off the street into a car park. Running in between the vehicles, they made some distance between themselves and the van. The driver stepped out, chasing Bill and Francis on foot with the other man. Behind the car park, a bridge ran over the stream that would run through the park. 'This way,' Bill instructed, taking Francis over the bridge.

When the other two arrived, one of them ran over the bridge while the other went in another direction. Dashing past various buildings he looked desperately for Bill and Francis. In the distance was a large village hall. He ran inside and looked around the reception.

'I guess your looking for an old guy and a biker?' the receptionist asked.

'Where did they go?' he asked.

'They stormed in and ran down there,' he nodded. 'You the police?' The man shot the receptionist and made his way down the hall.

'Not exactly.'

Moving down the hallway, the man searched for the two. He looked down other corridors and through doors. He made his way to a dead end, stopping and looking around. There was one door that stood ajar. He ran for it and pushed it open. Francis kicked the door, smashing it into the pursuer. Bill emerged from another room and retrieved his weapon. In the heat of the moment, Francis was able to restrain him and keep him secure. Bill held the weapon at the attacker.

'What are you doing?' he asked him. The attacker was silent. 'You came to the house and killed our housemates, why?' Francis winced at this news. He then looked surprised.

'Did you attack Louis?' he asked him. It was Bill's turn to look surprised.

'It looks like you're after the survivors… why?' he asked. The man finally spoke.

'We're just after you four,' he spat. 'The Director wants you all dead… except for you…' he looked to Francis. Bill punched the man in the head, knocking him out.

'We need to get out of here,' he said. 'And call Zoey… She's in danger.'

*

Zoey and Graham were sat at the table, eating scrambled eggs on toast. Graham had already finished his breakfast and was reading the newspaper. He was dressed in formal Naval attire. The news was on the television talking about a highly publicised trail.

'You're not taking the car, are you?' Zoey asked.

'No, why?'

'I'm gonna drive to Farnham,' she said. 'I hate getting the train.' Graham put the paper down.

'Do you even have a licence?' he asked rhetorically. Zoey grinned in response. 'Well I know nothing about your crazy plans, you got that? Anyway I'd better be going. I don't want to miss my train.'

'Good luck, today,' Zoey said warmly, standing up and kissing him. 'Tell Richard I said hello.' Graham nodded and kissed her before leaving, giving her a cheeky wink.

'Tell Bill and Francis I said hi, too,' he smiled, closing the door. Zoey looked back at the television, smiling to herself. She hurried to finish her meal so that she could set off.

*

Bill and Francis made it back to their shared apartment. Francis took the car keys and sighed.

'I'll drive,' he said. There was a bang front the front door. Bill held his weapon that he stole from the attacker up at a middle aged woman, holding her arms up.

'Michelle!' Francis said to his and Bill's housemate.

'I thought you were dead…' Bill said, surprised.

'No,' she gasped. 'Some men came inside; looking for you they… they killed Anthony!'

'How did you get out?' Bill asked.

'Tony tried to fend them off… I visited the police station but there were some shifty people in there so I ran. I came back here to get some clothes and get the hell out of here.'

'Don't get the clothes,' Francis said. 'We'll just get out of here.'

'Where can we go?' Michelle asked.

'London,' Bill said. 'Zoey's there.'

'Let's go,' Michelle took the keys and stepped outside. Gunshots pierced the air and Bill dived by the car, Francis jumping back inside the house. The windows shattered as bullets shot through them. Bill peered over to see where the shooters were. 'Where did you get that?' she asked.

'Found it in some trash,' Bill cried. 'Stay here.' Bill jumped from his cover to another car in the street. He jumped from the car to another vehicle, attempting to get around the attackers. He saw the van that had had been following Francis, a man standing by it, shooting at him. There was another shooter, but he couldn't see where he was.

Francis, in the hallway, heard something come from the kitchen. The other attacker was in there and attempted to shoot him. Francis dived for him, dodging the bullets and grabbed the weapon. The weapon fired through the window and hit the door near Michelle. She put the key in the lock and opened the door. Francis pinned the attacker down and punched him in the face, knocking him out. When he stood up, he took his weapon and moved to help Bill. Before he could leave the room, the windows exploded and Francis was knocked down when the car Michelle was in suddenly exploded. The attacker by the van panicked and got inside his vehicle, driving off as fast as he could. Bill looked at the wreckage of the car and covered his mouth. Francis staggered outside and dropped his gun when he saw the corpse inside the car.

'We need to call Zoey,' Bill said. 'Now!'

*

The Director was sat in his office overlooking the river Thames. His phone began to ring. He promptly answered it.

'Yes?' he answered.

'I'm sorry, Director Ingram,' said the man who had just driven away from Bill and Francis. 'They're still alive.' The Director sighed.

'At least tell me you picked up the target,' he asked. There was no response. 'Damn it, Martin, don't fail me… you know how I feel about people who fail me.'

'A lot of disturbance has been caused,' Martin explained. 'I'm going to lay low for a while. The others are dead so I'll need back up.'

'You're not going to get any!' the Director yelled. 'I'm on a tight schedule and I can't let you mess it all up!'

'I'm sorry!' Martin insisted.

'Just fix it,' the Director spat, slamming the phone down. His hands shook with rage. The phone rang again and he roared with anger, throwing it to the wall. A woman stepped inside his office looking worried.

'Director,' she said reluctantly. The man screamed at her.

'Why am I destined to be surrounded by incompetence?' he cried. He looked at her and blinked. 'What to you want, Liz?'

'Just to tell you,' she stuttered, 'that the teams are in Luton ready to deploy the weapon…' The Director sighed and composed himself.

'At least there's some good news…' he muttered. 'Tell them to use it.' Liz left and the Director sat down. He turned his chair and looked out of the window. 'It's all going to go to plan…' he muttered. 'It has to.'

*

At Luton airport, an easyJet plane stopped on the tarmac. Stairs were placed under the door as the ground crew waited for the passengers to depart. All doors on the aircraft burst open and people started running out. Confused, the ground staff were unprepared when they were mobbed by the passengers. One man tried to run from the mob but something wrapped around his torso and pulled him back into the mob. From the door, someone jumped out and seemingly flew over the mob and through the glass windows, screaming. Someone morbidly obese broke through a door and made his way into the terminal. A few people, who were confused, looked at him suspiciously where he suddenly vomited over them.

Another plane landed and another mob burst out and added to the havoc. A third plane was preparing to land but flew in the direction of the air traffic control tower. The wing sliced through the upper level and the plane smashed into the terminal. Through all the flames and wreckage people were screaming. Someone staggered outside of the main doors. The infected had landed.

*

Zoey stepped out of the apartment and walked over to the car park. There was a red Mazda in the distance, which she was heading for. In the distance, there was someone sat in a silver Audi. His phone rang.

'Yes, Director?'

'Make sure she dies, Sam,' the Director insisted. 'We've had problems with the others.'

'She's only a woman, don't worry,' he said. Zoey was closer to the car when he own phone started to ring. She clutched her keys as she answered the phone.

'Hey, Francis,' she said cheerily. 'You're not cancelling on me are you?'

'Zoey where are you?' he asked hurriedly.

'I'm just about to get in my car,' she said a few feet from her vehicle. 'Why?'

'Someone put a bomb in mine!' Zoey stopped a few feet from the car.

'What?'

'Someone's tried to kill me and Bill,' Francis explained. 'Louis, too.'

'Oh God, are you…?'

'We're all fine but there's someone out there after all of us, you need to get to the cops or something.' Zoey put her hand on her head. In the van, Sam was watching her anxiously. He took a pistol.

'What do I do?' she asked.

'Just get out of there, call the police and don't answer the door to anyone.' Zoey looked around and saw Sam in the van staring at her. He knew that she knew what was happening. He stepped out of his vehicle and started running toward her.

'I gotta go!' she yelled into the phone, hanging up and running away. Sam sprinted after her, running a lot faster than she was.

Zoey ran around a corner and pushed the elevator call button. She looked around the corner and dodged a bullet. Sam got closer to the corner. Zoey considered running for the stairs that were to the left, but thought that he would be able to catch up easily. The elevator doors opened. Sam darted around the corner fast enough to see the doors close. He hammered on the call button and to his surprise they opened. Inside Zoey was nowhere to be found. She emerged from the stairwell and kicked him inside, pushing the button for the top floor. Sam turned as the doors closed and the compartment started going up. Zoey, knowing she had little time ran down the stairs and onto the street. Moving as fast as she could, she ran past an electronics shop where the televisions in the window displayed a news report. The banner headline was "Crisis at Luton – Virus Outbreak Suspected".


	2. The Director’s Decision

14. The Director's Decision

The surrounding areas of Luton airport were frantic with activity. Quarantine fences had already been erected and the army and police were positioned at all entry points. Near the main terminal, news vans had parked and reporters were already talking their cameras while various military and security personnel were rushing around. At a checkpoint, a vehicle pulled up. The person inside showed their ID to the soldier and was let through, driving up to the terminal. The car parked short of the ruckus and a woman in a smart white blouse accompanied with a black suit jacket and black trousers stepped out, walking toward the commotion. She had blonde hair and bright green eyes. Her ID badge hung on her belt. It read "Special Agent Anna Shepherd – Bioterrorism Counter Force".

Anna approached the nearest solider and asked him where the person in charge was. She spoke with a smooth English accent. Anna went in the direction she was pointed to and approached a tall, weary looking man. He was barking orders at people in front of him and on the phone simultaneously. Anna stepped in front of him and waited for him to get off the phone.

'I'll call you back,' he said snappily. 'Who the hell are you?'

'Special Agent Anna Shepherd,' Anna introduced herself, holding out a hand. 'Bioterrorism Counter Force.'

'I was under the impression the BCF were supposed to prevent things like this from happening!' the man snapped, ignoring her hand. 'Dennis Roth. Why are you here, Shepherd?'

'My boss told me to come down and… oversee what's happening.'

'The hell you are!' Dennis protested. 'I'm running this show and I say what's happening!'

Gunfire sounded as a few infected attempted to jump over the quarantine fences. The news reporters suddenly jumped into action, eager to get a view of what was going on.

'I don't think they need to see this,' Anna thought aloud. Dennis sighed.

'Get all nonessentials out of here!' he ordered. Some reporters protested.

'You can't do this!' one of them cried.

'Have you heard of freedom of the press?' another yelled.

'Have you heard that I don't give a damn?' Dennis retorted. He looked back at Anna who stood defiantly in front of him with her arms folded. Dennis sighed and nodded at her.

'What's the situation?' she asked.

'Three easyJet planes were involved,' he explained. 'One from Belfast and another from Glasgow landed, releasing infected passengers. A third from Cyprus crashed into the ATC tower before destroying the north side of the terminal. This one too released infected passengers.'

'Is it the same infection that destroyed the Americas and Canada?' Anna asked.

'It appears so,' Dennis replied.

'I take it you've grounded all domestic flights?'

'Of course.'

'We should investigate easyJet,' Anna suggested. 'Since the terrorists used easyJet planes, it's not crazy think that someone in the company might be involved.'

'I doubt that they would be involved,' Dennis dismissed. 'I'll have someone look into it, though.'

'How did they keep a plane full of infected secure?' Anna thought aloud. Dennis looked at the wreckage of one of the planes.

'One of them didn't…' he muttered. 'We're not going to have a chance to find out, though.' Anna looked to him, slightly surprised.

'Why?' she asked.

'There are various different mutations,' Dennis said. 'If one of the larger, stronger, infected breaks out it will open the floodgates for the rest of those bastards to leak into the rest of the country. We've managed to contain it here at the airport so we're going to destroy the airport.'

'You're going to bomb it?' Anna gasped. Dennis nodded. 'What about the flight recorders or black boxes? They must have information that we could use. If you drop a bomb on them; it will destroy all evidence!'

'I know, I don't like it either but we need to contain this.'

'You're not going to send someone in to try and retrieve it?' Anna asked.

'You've known me for a good thirty seconds, Shepherd,' Dennis said, 'so I'm going to have explain this to you: My family were in Canada when the infection broke out six months ago. I refuse to let anyone else suffer the same fate that they did. Do you understand?' Anna looked surprised. 'Bombers have already been launched. This entire area will be ground zero in less than ten minutes.' Anna looked over in the distance. The terminal seemed so close and no one was going to try and preserve any evidence. Dennis walked away, barking more orders. He called for people to prepare to fall back when the bombers get close. Anna ran toward one of the makeshift tents and spoke to the man inside, wearing a biohazard suit.

'Agent Shepherd,' she smiled politely. 'I need your clothes.'

Dennis was walking by the quarantine fence when he was ambushed by reporters.

'Excuse me, sir,' the reporter asked. 'Can you tell us what the plan of action for the airport is?'

'You shouldn't be here!' Dennis insisted. 'All I'm going to say is that the situation is under control, now please. You must get back to a safe distance.'

'Sir, is it true that you're bombing the airport?'

'We need to contain this infection and… who the hell are you, anyway?'

'Karen Redgrave,' the reported said, 'Channel Five.' Before Dennis could say anything else, Karen jumped into further questioning. 'So you're not going to look for any survivors?'

'We need to act promptly while we have the situation under control,' Dennis said.

'So you're saying that you could loose control of this situation at any point?'

'Listen to me, Karen,' Dennis stepped forward defiantly. 'There is no chance that this situation can escalate further. Everything is under complete control.'

A car drove through the quarantine fence behind where Dennis was talking, in clear view of the cameras. Dennis winced as he heard the crash. The car headed straight for the airport terminal. Inside, Anna was dressed in a biohazard suit, focusing intently on the terminal. A pistol lay on the passenger seat. Ahead was a set of cracked glass doors. Without hesitation, Anna drove her car straight through and skidded to a halt. She grabbed the pistol and stepped outside, the tail of the crashed plane scattered in front of her. There were infected running toward her. Anna locked her vehicle and gave it a sharp kick. The alarm started to wail.

As infected ran for her, Anna managed to push her way through them, shooting any that attempted to bite or scratch at her. With the infected distracted, Anna pulled herself toward the tail of the plane. She searched desperately for the black box in the rubble. She gasped in delight when she saw the bright orange device poking out in some rubble. She pulled it out and held it tight. Anna suddenly realised that noise of the car alarm had stopped.

She turned and saw her car on its roof and the infected around it on the ground, their bodies contorted and bones broken. The reason was clear; a tank was standing over them, taking out its anger on them. The beast suddenly noticed Anna, holding the bright orange box. It made a sudden charge for her, roaring in anger. Anna, in turn, ran for it. As they got close to each other, she slid along the ground in between its legs. Anna jumped to her feet while still sliding and ran to her car. Using the black box as hammer, she hit the fuel line under her car, causing petrol to leak. She ran away as quickly as she could. When the tank came up to the car, it punched it away with ease. However, the force caused the petrol to ignite and the entire vehicle exploded, sending the flaming tank flying a few feet. However it got back up and began storming for Anna once again. It was even angrier.

Anna ran around the tank and headed for the departure gates. She pushed her way past the infected and made her way to the nearest boarding gate. Running through the gate and onto the tarmac, she saw a parked plane with a ladder leading up to it. As she ran for it, the tank crashed through the building behind, sending debris everywhere. She ran to the stairs, disengaging the ground locks. Anna ran up and kicked the stairs away as she got inside the plane. She ran to the cockpit and found the controls that she needed. As she disengaged the safety devices, the tank ran underneath the plane and smashed it with its massive fists. Before it could do any real damage, Anna retracted the landing gears and the entire plane came crashing down on the beast, crushing it. Sighing, Anna stepped outside and looked up at the sky. She immediately began running. The quarantined area had been cleared and the reporters and security team had retreated to a safer distance. In the air, two miles away, three aircraft bombers approached Luton. Their payload doors opened, ready to drop the bombs. Anna heard the bombers in the distance and started running a lot faster.

Dennis yelled hollow orders at the reporters to stop filming, who completely ignored him. Getting the soldiers to usher everyone back, he turned to the airport, looking apprehensively for anyone. The bombers could now be seen approaching. Their payload was dropped and explosives fell to the airport. Anna ran as fast as she could, still clutching the black box securely. She got further from the airport but the bombs falling were widespread.

'Sir,' a soldier handed Dennis some binoculars and pointed him in the direction of where to look. Dennis looked through them and saw Anna heading for them. The bombs suddenly impacted the airport and she was knocked over in the blast. Luton airport went up in a spectacular fireball, destroying everything inside, all traces of infection and all potential evidence of what happened… with exception of the black box, which Anna was hunched over. She rolled over and surveyed the destruction. She stood up and headed back for the security perimeter.

'I don't… believe it,' Dennis said, through uncontrollable anger. As Anna neared the camp, she removed the biohazard suit. Stepping in front of them all, she handed Dennis the black box.

'From me to you,' she said.

'What the hell was that?' Dennis spat. 'I can't believe… I have… what the hell were you doing?'

'My job,' Anna said, with a slight lack of breath. 'Have that analysed and we can-'

'Shepherd, you do not give orders!' Dennis yelled.

'Oh, alright,' Anna said sarcastically. 'I'll just wait until you get off your high horse.' Dennis shook his head dismissively. 'I could always go back into the city and have this analysed,' Anna said.

'Then why don't you?' Dennis yelled.

'Because you're in charge,' Anna replied calmly. Dennis sighed and took the box from Anna.

*

Zoey looked around the hallway nervously. She walked quickly past the apartment doors on either side of her. Zoey came up to apartment number 4; she knocked on the wood a couple of times and waited. After a few moments the door unlocked and swung open.

'I'm sorry to come to you unannounced,' Zoey said. 'But I've nowhere else to go.' Stood before her in the doorway, Admiral Richard Jaeger had a mixture of confusion and surprise on his face.

Inside the apartment, Zoey was sat on the couch. Jaeger stepped inside with a pot of tea. He poured Zoey a cup and she took it gratefully.

'This is a nice place,' Zoey said in a weak attempt to make small talk. Jaeger poured himself a cup of tea and lifted it to his mouth.

'What happened?' he asked. Zoey sighed.

'Bill and Francis were attacked,' she explained. 'So was Louis. From what he said, it sounds like assassins or something. They even put a bomb in his car… and mine. I was chased through the street by someone, too. I didn't know where to go and Graham's phone's off because he's at his meeting so… I just ran here.' Jaeger nodded in understanding. Zoey's phone suddenly started to ring, causing her to jump. When she saw who was calling, she answered quickly.

'Francis!' she exclaimed. 'Where are you?'

'We're at the train station,' Francis told her. 'Bill and I will be in London in about an hour and a half…'

'Good,' she sighed, relieved. 'That's good… I'll meet you at Waterloo when your train arrives.'

'You're okay then?' Francis asked.

'Yeah,' Zoey sighed. 'I'm in the Admiral's house, so he'll keep me safe.'

Sat at his desk, the Director stared at the screen of his laptop. He grinned as he saw Zoey's phone conversation transcribed before him.

'I knew she'd run to Jaeger,' the Director chuckled to Liz who was stood by his desk. 'Call Martin and Sam. Have Martin intercept the two on the train but make sure he keeps Francis alive.' Liz nodded. 'Have Sam return here. I've got a plan for London Waterloo…'

'Shall I inform the lab to prepare another sample?' Liz asked.

'Yes…' said the Director. 'I have a feeling British Rail Services are about to be delayed. Permanently.'

*

Bill and Francis boarded the train.

'I think we should sit at the front,' Bill suggested. Francis, not bothering to ask why, agreed. As they made their way through the carriage, Martin boarded just as the doors shut. The train slowly began to move. They were trapped.

*

Louis was sat in the interrogation room looking at his reflection, tapping an empty cup of coffee with his finger. He sighed and checked the time, wondering how much longer he would have to wait. His question was answered when the door opened and a tall, thin woman in a smart suit stepped inside. She had thick red hair.

'Karen!' Louis exclaimed.

'I heard what had happened to you,' she said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as she moved to sit down. 'Are you alright?'

'A little shaken…' Louis said. 'How did you find out?'

'Well I tried ringing you,' Karen explained, 'and when I got no response I heard about the car crash on the news. I went to the police when I thought it was you in the car.'

'I appreciate your concern,' Louis smiled.

'I gave you some really bad news,' Karen sighed. 'I was afraid you… tried to commit suicide or something.'

'I survived the outbreak,' Louis joked. 'I'm not going to kill myself.'

'Glad to hear it,' Karen smiled. 'What the hell are you doing here?'

'They think I'll be safer here for the moment,' Louis explained. 'Since the person who tried to kill me is obviously a professional.'

'Why would someone want to kill you?' Karen asked.

'I don't know,' Louis shook his head. 'The only thing I can think of is something to do with business… well that's what I assumed anyway.'

'You don't think that anymore?'

'I spoke to some of my… friends,' Louis explained. 'Some of the people I escaped with… they were attacked too.' Karen sat back in her chair.

'Jesus…' she muttered. 'What are you going to do?'

'I don't know…' Louis said. 'When I get out of here I'll… lay low for a while, I guess.'

'You're free to stay with me,' Karen said, holding his hand tenderly. Louis took hers and smiled. Karen leant forward and kissed him. She stroked his cheek and smiled. 'Oh Louis…' she said softly.

Karen suddenly smashed his head onto the table. Lifting up the back of her shirt, she took out a knife and swung it to him. Louis pushed himself away as the blade hit the table. Before he could think, Karen swung her leg through the air, kicking him in the face. Louis staggered to one end of the table while Karen made her way around to the other. Louis pushed the table toward her, attempting to pin her against the wall. Karen kicked the table up and pushed Louis against the mirror. As Louis pushed back, he saw the blade still stuck in the table. He pulled it out and jumped free from the restrain. He held the knife up defensively.

'Karen,' he said. 'What are you doing?' Karen disarmed Louis effortlessly by lunging forward and tearing the blade from him. She moved to stab him but Louis avoided the attack by jumping to the side, grabbing her wrist and holding her in a body lock. Kicking the table away, Louis restrained her, looking in front of the mirror. 'Stop this!' he cried. Karen head butted Louis with the back of her head and while he was dazed, ran up the wall and mirror and launched herself behind him. She then kicked him forward with such force, Louis crashed through the two way glass, rolling to a stop. Karen jumped through and pinned him down. Louis grabbed the closest thing at hand, a shard of glass and swung it blindly.

Karen gasped, choking at something. Louis looked up and saw blood seeping through a gash in her neck. She grabbed the wound, dropping the knife. Karen fell to the ground, choking on blood. She then stopped twitching. Louis got to his feet, out of breath. He wasn't sure how he would be able to explain this.

Staggering out of the room, Louis looked around the police station. He was confused to see the corridors were deserted. He walked around, searching for somebody. He finally saw someone in police uniform.

'Excuse me,' he said. The man turned around, his face void of any sign of humanity. 'Oh no…' Louis gasped. The man suddenly broke out into a run, dashing toward him. Louis ran away as fast as he could. He followed the exit signs and saw the fire exit in front of him. He pushed the bar to get out, but was met with resistance. The door would not open. He was locked in. Louis turned around and saw the infected run toward him. He was suddenly attacked from the side by another infected. The one chasing him jumped him, too. Louis was on the ground, attempting to get them off him. One of them tried to bite Louis in the shoulder. He punched him away and got to his feet. As he tried to run away, more infected grabbed Louis and pulled him down to the ground. He let out a yell that no one could hear.

*

'Has the police station been contaminated?' the Director asked his assistant.

'Yes,' she replied. 'Karen has made sure that no one can get in or out as well.'

'Perfect,' the Director grinned. 'What about Sam?'

'Sam has just taken the sample and is heading for the standby position in Waterloo Station. He will release the infectious agent when Martin leaves the train with the package.'

'Good,' the Director said softly. 'Make sure Martin keeps him alive. We can't risk having him die… not yet, anyway.' The Director turned his chair and looked out of the window. He sighed, putting his hands together. Liz was still stood behind his desk. 'I have a good feeling about this,' the Director told her. 'A very good feeling indeed…'

'Sir?' Liz asked.

'Well before I was surrounded by those that defied incompetence,' the Director explained. 'But now… my word things are moving so much more… smoothly. Well except for Martin. Have Martin "retired" when he comes back with Francis.' Liz nodded and stepped out of the office. The Director sat back in his chair and sighed. 'Yes,' he said to himself. 'So much better…'

*

'Avery Ingram,' Anna said, sat in the electronics vehicle that was parked beyond the blast zone of Luton. Dennis stepped inside a look of distaste for Anna still on his face.

'What?' he asked. Anna turned to him, a slight smile on her face.

'You owe me an apology,' she teased.

'Like hell I do,' Dennis spat. 'Just tell me what you found.' Anna chuckled lightly and stood up.

'You know Avery Ingram?' she asked.

'The guy who used to run CEDA?' Dennis said. Anna nodded.

'From the looks of it, he was the one who caused the infection,' Anna suggested. Dennis' face fell.

'Come off it, Shepherd,' he dismissed. 'Someone else said that before and he was crucified for it.'

'Richard Jaeger did go about it the wrong way,' Anna nodded, 'but the evidence is clear here. There's two radio conversations between the pilots and "the Director". Afterward, they pilots discuss crashing the plane, as were Ingram's orders.'

'It's all very…' Dennis trailed off. 'Look, I think we're going to need more evidence than just a few flight recordings.'

'I agree…' Anna put her hand to her chin. 'What we need… is Richard Jaeger.'

'What?' Dennis asked.

'He was very vocal about what Ingram was suspected of doing,' she explained. 'After all the survivors were rescued from Canada and the Americas, he blamed Ingram for the sinking of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Jaeger started an intensive campaign to bring Ingram to justice. I'm sure he has information we could use!' Dennis was silent. Anna stepped out of the truck.

'Where are you going?' he asked.

'I'm going to see Jaeger. He lives somewhere in London. Can I borrow your car?' Dennis took out the keys and shook his head.

'I'll drive, come on,' he said. Anna looked surprised.

'What?' she asked. 'You seemed… unsure.'

'I still am,' Dennis said. 'I just don't want you driving my car.'


End file.
